Maurice Patrick Moriarty

Maurice Patrick Moriarty was born on July 16,1944 and passed away Thursday, April 11, 2024, with his family by his side. He is survived by his deeply-loved wife of 54 years, Ellen M. Moriarty. He would reminisce how he was “struck by her beauty and exuberance” upon seeing her for the first time performing the Mexican hat dance at a town-wide folkloric dance competition. He is also survived by his children Maurice P. and wife Christine Theroux Moriarty, Ellen T., Mary M. and husband Mike Larini, Catherine G. and husband Brent Blazej, and Michael M. Moriarty, as well as by his adored grandchildren Riley, Grace-Mae, and Elijah. He is also survived by his sister Constance Kerwin and numerous nieces and nephews and their children.

He was predeceased by his father Matthew and mother “Sweet” Julia, sister Julia and husband David Hayes, brother-in-law Donald Kerwin, brother Matthew Moriarty Jr. and former wife JoAnn Cormier, beloved sister Mary Margaret, her husband Michael Lynch, and their son Frank Lynch. He was also predeceased by his great-uncle Jack O’Callahan (Maurice would joke that Jack showed up for dinner one night and never left).

Born in Manchester CT, he graduated from New York Military Academy and Boston College where he earned a degree in Business Administration. He was drafted into military service in 1967. He studied radio teletype and cryptography in Georgia and ran a crypto room for the Southern European Task Force in Vicenza, Italy for two years as a Sergeant E5. He attended cryptography school in Bavaria, Germany and was assigned to the 766 military intelligence detachment in West Berlin. He was an expert marksman with a rifle. During his time in the Army, he trained in French and German and voluntarily took Italian night classes. During his leave, he took great joy in traveling and exploring western Europe.

He loved swimming in the ocean, the sound of frogs in the spring, humid summer air, mountain climbing, canoeing, skiing, sailing, hiking, camping, studying maps, military history, reading (history, biographies, Shakespeare, cold war intrigue, etc), poetry, opera, fresh pie, his wife’s masterful cooking, libraries, writing haikus, perusing swap shops, cowboy movies (shoot’em ups and spaghetti westerns), slapstick humor, and greasy spoon diners. He never met a cat (stray or otherwise) he wouldn’t pick up and pet, a dog he wouldn’t share a meal with, or a wild animal he wouldn’t attempt to befriend. He was a catch-and-release man with all beings, large and small, an organic gardener, orchard planter, jelly and chili sauce and maple syrup maker, and snake catcher who could beat anyone in a trivia game. His curiosity was a defining characteristic.

An internationally licensed soccer coach, he co-founded the Manchester Soccer Club and shared his love of the sport with countless children, including his own. He remembered the name of every child he ever coached. He was a fan of Bayern Munich, the Barcelona FC, the Boston Red Sox, and the New England Patriots. He especially enjoyed the Boston College Football games he attended with his good friend and college roommate, Tom Fay. He was also lifelong friends with Jeff Jarvis, who managed to pull him out of his introversion and into long conversations.

He was a communicant of Saint James Church in Manchester, CT and Saint Thomas Aquinas in Storrs, CT. The family wishes to thank his home health aide, Linda Perlman, for a year and a half of skilled, compassionate, and kind care. The family will hold a celebration of life this summer. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your local animal shelter. Maurice’s final haiku was spoken in Chatham, MA in 2019 while staring out at the sails on the ocean:

                                                             Only two sails now

                                                          Against the October sky

                                                               Autumn tragedy

And this wouldn’t be Maurice Patrick Moriarty’s obituary if we didn’t end it with “God bless you.”

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